{"id":358652,"date":"2024-12-25T14:45:38","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T13:45:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=358652"},"modified":"2024-12-25T14:45:40","modified_gmt":"2024-12-25T13:45:40","slug":"nasas-parker-solar-probe-to-make-closest-approach-to-the-sun-on-christmas-eve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=358652","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Parker Solar Probe to Make Closest Approach to the Sun on Christmas Eve"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will be embracing a star.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Legal Insurrection<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) groundbreaking spacecraft, the Parker Solar Probe<\/a>, was launched in 2018 to study the Sun\u2019s outer corona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the fastest object ever built on Earth, capable of reaching speeds up to 430,000 mph at its closest approach to the Sun\u2026which is required to avoid being pulled in due to enormous gravitational forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spacecraft is performing better than expected and will now make its closest approach to the Sun on Christmas Eve<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Parker Solar Probe will pass 6.1 million kilometers from the sun at 6:53 a.m. Eastern Dec. 24, the closest approach to the sun by this or any other spacecraft. At the time of closest approach, the spacecraft will be traveling 191 kilometers per second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spacecraft launched in 2018 and used a series of gravity-assist flybys of Venus to lower its perihelion. The final Venus flyby, on Nov. 6, set up the spacecraft for this perihelion, the closest the spacecraft will fly to the sun on its mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn Christmas Eve of this year, Parker Solar Probe will be the closest humanmade object ever to a star,\u201d said Nour Rawafi, project scientist for the mission at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (APL), during a media roundtable at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union Dec. 10. \u201cWe will be embracing a star.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It won\u2019t be known how the probe did for a few days after this approach, as it will be out of communication range<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Parker planned to get more than seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft, hitting 430,000 mph (690,000 kph) at closest approach. It\u2019s the fastest spacecraft ever built and is outfitted with a heat shield that can withstand scorching temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,371 degrees Celsius).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019ll continue circling the sun at this distance until at least September. Scientists hope to better understand why the corona is hundreds of times hotter than the sun\u2019s surface and what drives the solar wind, the supersonic stream of charged particles constantly blasting away from the sun.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Legal Insurrection readers may recall I reported on a coronal \u201chole\u201d in the Sun, as big as 20 Earths<\/a>, back in 2023. I have also noted the recent uptick in solar storms as well<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Parker Probe, named after Eugene Newman Parker (the physicist who first theorized the existence of solar wind), is designed to obtain data that will help scientists understand <\/a>this phenomenon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u2026[T}he first images from the close encounter will likely be beamed back to Earth sometime in January, the agency said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Parker Solar Probe swoops close to the sun, it will likely fly through plumes of solar plasma and could even dive into active regions of the star, [Kelly Korreck, a program scientist in NASA\u2019s heliophysics division] said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mission was designed to study the outermost part of the sun\u2019s atmosphere, an ultrahot region known as the corona. Scientists are keen to observe the corona up close because researchers have long puzzled over why the outer layer of the sun\u2019s atmosphere is hundreds of times hotter than the star\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observing the corona will also help researchers study how storms that brew on the sun\u2019s surface erupt into space. The probe will, for instance, be able to observe streams of the highest-energy solar particles as they are hurled from the sun, exploding into the cosmos at supersonic speeds.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If the probe completes a successful flyby, the data obtained will hopefully lead to a better understanding of solar behavior and an enhanced appreciation of its influence on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I will conclude with a little humor that fellow Star Trek fans may appreciate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Actual photos of Parker Solar Probe on Christmas Eve 2024. pic.twitter.com\/P67WP606Xv<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 lawrence (@lcagee) December 23, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
https:\/\/x.com\/lcagee\/status\/1871013181294088363<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) groundbreaking spacecraft, the\u00a0Parker Solar Probe, was launched in 2018 to study the Sun\u2019s outer corona.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":358656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691831558,691832284,691832285],"class_list":{"0":"post-358652","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-national-aeronautics-and-space-administration-nasa","9":"tag-parker-solar-probe","10":"tag-suns-outer-corona","12":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0Sun-astronauts-mission-NASA-Skylab-4-image.webp?fit=1600%2C1294&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1viI","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":360805,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=360805","url_meta":{"origin":358652,"position":0},"title":"Unsettled Science: How Sun\u2019s Fluxes Affect Our\u00a0Climate","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/01\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"NASA\u2019s Parker solar probe just completed\u00a0one of its primary multi-year mission objectives, with\u00a0the closest ever approach to the Sun. On Christmas Eve, the probe flew through the Sun\u2019s corona at a blistering (literally and figuratively)\u00a0430,000 mph.\u00a0For aircraft buffs, that\u2019s Mach 560 \u2014 fast enough to circle the earth in about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0AdobeStock_266865139.jpg?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0AdobeStock_266865139.jpg?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0AdobeStock_266865139.jpg?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0AdobeStock_266865139.jpg?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0AdobeStock_266865139.jpg?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":187028,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=187028","url_meta":{"origin":358652,"position":1},"title":"New Sun Missions to Help NASA Better Understand Earth-Sun Environment","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/02\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"From NASA A mid-level solar flare that peaked at 8:13 p.m. EDT on Oct. 1, 2015, captured by NASA\u2019s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Credits: NASA\/SDO NASA has selected two science missions \u2013 the Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) and HelioSwarm \u2013 to help improve our understanding of the dynamics of the Sun,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/0oct_1_2015_flare_02.jpg?fit=985%2C985&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/0oct_1_2015_flare_02.jpg?fit=985%2C985&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/0oct_1_2015_flare_02.jpg?fit=985%2C985&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/0oct_1_2015_flare_02.jpg?fit=985%2C985&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":299094,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=299094","url_meta":{"origin":358652,"position":2},"title":"Solar Protons Are Raining Down on\u00a0Earth","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"30\/01\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Energetic protons from the sun are striking the top of Earth\u2019s atmosphere today following a strong solar flare during the early hours of Jan. 29th. 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The telescope was folded to fit into its launch vehicle, and then was slowly unfolded over the course of two weeks after launch. Credits: NASA GSFC\/CIL\/Adriana Manrique Gutierrez NASA\u2019s James\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0webb_illustration-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0webb_illustration-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0webb_illustration-1-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/0webb_illustration-1-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=358652"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358652\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":358658,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358652\/revisions\/358658"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/358656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=358652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=358652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=358652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}